The Border Collie
The Border Collie wasn’t recognised as a breed in the UK until 1976; prior to that, there was no Standard, and breeding was left largely to the farmers who bred and kept them as working dogs. My two come from just such a source, and not from any dedicated breeder, so their peculiarities may be slightly different from those of a pedigreed, kennel-bred Border Collie!
The Border Collie is used in advertising nowadays as a symbol of family and home, suggesting some kind of “togetherness”. But are they really like that? Well, my answer would be a resounding “Yes!”. BCs are very loyal to “their people”
Border Collies are described as low-maintenance dogs – they are easy to groom, requiring little more than a going-over with a commercial dog-brush (I use a wire one) and a comb for their “trousers” (breechings). As with all dogs, they should have their teeth cleaned daily. This should be started early in life, to get the dog used to it – otherwise, it will behave as mine do – hiding, trying to escape, passive resistance, then squirming!
The story is that Border Collies require oodles of exercise, but I’m not sure that’s 100% true! I find that mine don’t like nasty weather any more than I do. In fact, I’ve seen the day when I’ve been dressed up in full Orkney/polar winter gear, hauling on a lead attached to a dog who has his feet firmly planted on the draught-excluder, refusing to set paw over the threshold! I have found that the pet Border Collie is quite happy to slob out on the sofa! Given a nice day on a beach or in a field, though, they’re like hairy missiles, turning smooth, tide-swept sand into something like a Normandy beach after D-day.
These dogs are rated amongst the most intelligent breeds; some might say they’re the most intelligent. They can have a surprisingly large vocabulary (my Kali reacts correctly to over 150 words and phrases) and they remember words, people and places for a very long time (I haven’t found a time limit yet). They can even plan ahead to some degree! One Christmas, mine were given a very big biscuit apiece: Snorri’s first reaction was to hide his carefully under the curtain bottoms, then he sauntered out to try to steal his brother’s biscuit!
With this considerable brainpower, keeping a Border Collie occupied mentally is as important, or even more so, as exercise. This morning, for instance, I got up to find bedding strewn everywhere and the sofa throw scrunched up to make a “nest”. When they were scolded, the impression of two naughty children was very strong! They like to be part of things, and they watch everything. They can be very, very nosy, too – every time a vehicle passes our house, they’re off to look at it! The downside is that when an outing is in the offing, they can get extremely excited and can deliver a painful nip, without really meaning to do it – and I know that it’s not just my lads that do this! I think it’s a Border Collie “thing”, unfortunately.
Border Collies are clever, smart in appearance, not too big, not too small. They bond well with their keepers and they make great watchdogs, always alert, inquisitive and protective. Whilst I could live with just about any breed of dog, the Border Collie is far and away my Number One. If it’s not a Border Collie, it’s just another dog!
Snorri the Priest 2003
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